Crankcase ventilation



Dec. 11, 195] G c MO R CRANKCASEI VENTILATION Filed June 3, 1948 IN V EN TOR. 6 K615 C MQRRILT A 7- TO RA y Patented Dec. 11, 1951 CRANKCASE VENTILATION George 0. Morris, Owosso, Mich., assignor to Redmond Company, Inc., Owosso, Mich., a corporation of lliichigan Application June 3, 1948, Serial No. 30,961

This invention relates to vapor expulsion, and particularly to the expulsion of harmfulvapors from the crankcase of an internal combustion engine.

Most of the automotive engine crankcase scavenging systems now in use operate on a theory that sufiicient ventilation of the crankcase will occur if there is provision for entrance of iir through a breathing pipe leading to the crankcase, and for emergence of air through a vent opening at some other point of the crankcase; the breathing action being usually dependent upon the draft created by the engine cooling fan, by pressure differentials existing between the inlet and outlet points, or simply upon the draft due to motion of the vehicle itself.

All these presently used arrangements tend to fall short of complete, effective scavenging action, mainly because they are not capable of maintaining a sufficient air fiow, at a suillcient delivery rate, over the complete range of operating conditions. Thus, for example, if the vehicle is climbing a steep grade, with the engine under heavy load, the forward speed may be too low to produce a sumcient draft, in those systems that are dependent upon draft induced by forward speed. Again, if the vehicle is standing still, but with the engine running, a similar inadequacy of draft may result. Other special conditions produce other inconsistencies in performance, according to the particular ventilating arrangements selected.

The present invention aims to overcome these inadequacies of prior systems by providing a forced draft system motivated by operating power of substantially constant capacity, and therefore effective to supply the engine crankcase with an approximately constant quantity of scavenging air throughout its entire period of operation, regardless of changes in'speed, load, throttle position, or manifold pressure, and irrespective of the degree of motion or lack of motion of the vehicle.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a novel combination of means for a more effective expulsion of harmful vapors from an engine crankcase under a variety of conditions encountered on one occasion or another during use of an automotive vehicle equipped with an internal combustion power plant.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide, in a scavenging system of the character indicated, a substantially constant delivery of scavenging air to the crankcase, regardless of operating conditions.

2Claims. (c1. res-41.86) Y introducing a substantially constant charge of air to an oil receiving tube of an engine; the tube being otherwise normally sealed against air intake so that the only means of egress for the scavenging air is by way of the normal crankcase vent.

Another object is to provide a novel combination and inter-relationship of air cleaner, impeller, and driving motor, all of which units cooperate to provide the substantially constant air delivery action above described.

These and other objects of the invention will be further explained on reference to the following description of one embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation view of a unitary structure including an air cleaner, impeller, and driving motor, mounted on a flat upper surface of an internal combustion engine;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is an elevation view of the upper assembly for an oil receiving tube to be supplied with air by the action of the impeller of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a reduced-scale View showing application of the invention to an internal combustion engine assembly.

In Fig. 1 the air cleaner is shown at 5, the impeller at 6, the substantially constant speed driving motor at l, and the mounting bracket at 8, the latter being attached by suitable means 9 secured to a boss I0 located on the engine housing ll. Motor 1 has an extending armature shaft l2 to which the impeller 6 is secured for rotation therewith; the impeller having blades [3 for directing the air received from air cleaner 5 into the outlet spout M. A hose l5 has one end clamped to spout I4, as indicated at Hi, the other end of the hose being clamped to spout ll of the oil receiving tube l9, as indicated at [8. Tube l9 has an air-tight sealing cap 20 which is always in place during operation of the engine and removed only when oil is to be poured into the crankcase through the said tube l9. Any suitable means 2| 22 may be employed to fasten tube IE! to the remainder of the engine and crankcase structure, not shown.

Atmospheric air enters the cleaner 5 between the filtering material 23 (Fig. 1) and the embracing shield 24, the latter serving also as an air directing means adjustably mounted on the cleaner assembly, as indicated at 25 (Figs. 1 and 2) the cleaner in turn being carried on the impeller housing 26, which is formed in two complementary sections having mating flanges 21 (Figs. 1

A further object is to provide novel means for I and 2) receiving fastening elements 28 (Fig. 2)

As the electric motor I is of substantially constant speed, within the limits of the substantially constant voltage supplied fromthe regular battery-generator system of the vehicle, there will be a, substantially constant quantity of scavenging air delivered to the crankcase, by way of im peller l2, hose [5 and tube 19; the said air being sufl'iciently pressurized, by the action of the impeller, to set, up adequate circulation within the crank-case before the crank-case by way of the normal crank-case vent, above referred to. Thus complete, thoroughly efiective scavenging action is assured.

Although the foregoing description includes details of but a single embodiment, it should be understood that the invention may be embodied in other arrangements of the component parts, and that certain component parts may be used independently of others, or with modifica tions thereof, within the Scope of the invention as disclosed and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. Means for expelling harmful vapors from an internal combustion engine by way of the normal crankcase vent, comprising, in combination, a substantially constant speed motor, said motor 4 having a pair of air receiving vessels aligned therewith, means in one of said vessels for filtering air received therein, and means in the other of said vessels for forcing the filtered air into said crankcase for circulation therethrough prior to discharge by way of said normal crankcase vent.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said motor includes a shaft extending into one of said vessels and wherein said air forcing means includes a bladed impeller secured to said shaft for rotationrtherewith.

GEORGE C. MORRIS.

REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

